What are the latest results?

Official results have been slow to be released, with only 60% of votes counted by 12:53 (09:53 GMT).

They put Blue and White slightly ahead of Likud, with an alliance of Arab parties third, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party fourth and Yisrael Beiteinu, a nationalist party, in fifth place. The tally does not say how this translates into seats in the Knesset.

Based on these reported results, neither leader can form a majority coalition without support from Yisrael Beiteinu.

That party's leader, Avigdor Lieberman, reiterated that he would only support a government comprising both Likud and Blue and White. However, Blue and White has ruled out sitting with Mr Netanyahu in a coalition.

Exit polls earlier presented a similar picture.

Netanyahu weakened

Analysis by Tom Bateman, BBC Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem

The prime minister is well short of being able to form a governing bloc of right-wing and religious parties that are prepared to sit with him. In fact the result leaves him in an even weaker position than he was after April's vote.

It's almost impossible to predict the outcome, with frenetic horse trading on the way and even the chance of parties fragmenting or politicians shifting allegiances. But as it stands, three broad themes seem among the possibilities:

A dominant new governing bloc of the two big rival parties: Likud with Blue and White. This only seems possible without Mr Netanyahu as Likud leader. Needless to say that's a deal breaker for him and, so far at least, for his party